In this review of The Deadman #1, Barton Brand resurrects in the first of a six-issue limited series!
The Deadman #1
Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
Art and Main Cover: Martin Morazzo
Variant Covers: Tula Lotay, Frank Cho, Martín Morazzo, Mike Choi, Hayden Sherman,
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: June 3, 2026
This review contains spoilers
The Deadman #1 opens, appropriately, on a moonlit wide shot of Outer Gotham Rural Hospital as someone proclaims “Trust me: you don’t wanna get stuck here…”
The encapsulates Boston Brand’s predicament pretty perfectly, both in general and in this new six-issue series. By my best reckoning, the last solo title featuring the unique entry to DC’s canon was about 2016, so his origin-rehashing is warranted, as there’s ten years of readers that may have no clue who he is or how his powers work.
You also get, in the few opening pages, a good feel for the emotional approach writer W. Maxwell Prince is taking toward the grim reaper/aspect of death subject matter. There’s an element of existentialism, a little bit of dread as Boston lurks in the background of the first page, and a good dose of humor to help it all go down (“Murdered…Without any sense!”)
From this brief opening, we go on to alternate between Boston narrating his habits and routines, and his interactions with other ghosts and his “boss” Rama Kushna, with glimpses of our primary antagonist, the horrifyingly cheerful Mr. M.
Do you remember the John Mulaney standup bit where he talks about working for an eccentric old millionaire, “When one feels like a duck, one is happy?”
Imagine if that guy was actually a serial killer, but never altered his mood or way of speaking the entire time.
Now multiply that by about a hundred.
While The Deadman #1 serves as an introduction to Deadman for new readers, it also sets up the conflict with Mr. M. By following Deadman through his routines, we see that there’s a cycle, there are procedures. He and Rama Kushna liken the work they do as psychopomps to a mathematical equation. Whatever Mr. M is doing is the equivalent of the algebra “proof” where a = b so 1 = 2. It’s breaking the math of the universe.
Martín Morazzo is doing something so interesting with the linework here. It reminds me a bit of styles from the 80s, but the stippling and little texturework he does, especially in the scenes with Mr. M and the ghosts, is such a distinctive touch. It’s definitely pinging something, giving me nostalgia for something I read a long time ago, I can’t put my finger on it.
Colorist Chris O’Halloran isn’t slacking either, making every paranormal being stand out immediately in every scene, noticeably supernatural but still harmonious with their surroundings. Two particular scenes I really liked were the bug with those warm yellow tones against the blue night, and the battle with the demon toward the end that erupts into a lot of bright colors, as if pulling from the sunset on the page before.
Final Thoughts
I find personified aspects of death and their assistants comforting, but something that could scare Death itself? That’s horror I can get behind, especially when there’s a dash of 4th wall breaking to relieve the tension.
